Covid-19 vaccine

  • Thailand NewsThailand expecting 3.5 million Sinovac vaccines by end of May

    Thailand expecting 3.5 million Sinovac vaccines by end of May

    Another 3.5 million Sinovac Biotech vaccines have been confirmed to be arriving by the end of May, health officials said Friday. With a slow vaccine rollout putting Thailand’s ambitious July 1 reopening plan in jeopardy, the confirmation of another batch of jabs is welcomed news. The head of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation announced the first million vaccines will arrive in…

  • Covid-19 NewsUS pushed to join call for patent-free Covid vaccines

    US pushed to join call for patent-free Covid vaccines

    The United States is being pushed to join a scheme to persuade all manufacturers of Covid-19 vaccines worldwide to give up their intellectual property rights. This would make all Covid-19 medications, treatments and vaccines patent-free, allowing manufacturers around the world to produce them locally. India and South Africa proposed this plan at the World Trade Organization. As Covid-19 still spreads…

  • Covid-19 NewsMedical, business sectors blame government over Covid-19

    Medical, business sectors blame government over Covid-19

    Corporations are losing faith in Thailand’s political leaders as many in the medical, financial and business sector are placing the blame on the Prayut government for the current Covid-19 situation. They claim that corruption and cronyism is hindering and dampening a more decisive and productive course of action. The Chamber of Commerce has already offered logistical support to expedite vaccinations…

  • Covid-19 NewsVaccine appointments from today via Mor Prom LINE account

    Vaccine appointments from today via Mor Prom LINE account

    Thailand has launched the Mor Prom account on the Line app today where locals can register to get their vaccine appointments. While 16 million people earmarked as vulnerable will get top priority for the free vaccines, everyone can sign up now, though it appears to be for Thai citizens only. Starting today, people can register for vaccination using the Line…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok sets goal to vaccinate 70% of population by the end of the year

    Bangkok sets goal to vaccinate 70% of population by the end of the year

    With Bangkok as the epicentre of the recent Covid-19 outbreak, infecting over 10,000 people in the capital since April 1, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration says they now aim to vaccinate 70% of Bangkok residents by the end of the year. Since Thailand started its national Covid-19 vaccination plan in late-February, just 1.4 million doses have been inoculated. Priority was initially…

  • Thailand NewsThailand to issue international vaccine passport for travellers

    Thailand to issue international vaccine passport for travellers

    An international vaccine passport, certifying Covid-19 immunisation, will be an official travel document for those travelling overseas, according to an order by the Public Health Ministry’s Disease Control Department. A copy of the vaccine passport along with an order outlining the issuing process, both approved by the department’s director general Opas Karnkawinpong, were published in the Royal Gazette, making it…

  • Covid-19 NewsAll foreigners eligible for Covid-19 vaccine under Thailand’s vaccination plan, eventually

    All foreigners eligible for Covid-19 vaccine under Thailand’s vaccination plan, eventually

    All expats living in Thailand are eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, according to deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Natapanu Nopakun. He says Thailand plans to roll out a “massive vaccination plan” to vaccinate all people who are living in Thailand, including foreign residents. “All people residing in Thailand, regardless of nationality, are eligible to receive the…

  • Thailand NewsNational Vaccine Institute head says Thailand never turned down an offer from Pfizer

    National Vaccine Institute head says Thailand never turned down an offer from Pfizer

    After reports claiming that the Thai government turned down an offer from Pfizer for 13 million vaccine doses, the director of the National Vaccine Institute is debunking the claims saying the reports are false and the country is still looking into acquiring doses from the company. Thailand’s Public Health Ministry is negotiating with several Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers to acquire more…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand to purchase additional 35 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine

    Thailand to purchase additional 35 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says the Thai government will purchase another 35 million Covid-19 vaccine doses in addition to the 65 million doses of China’s Sinovac vaccine and the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. The prime minister made a post on his Facebook page today announcing that Thailand will produce the additional doses from 2 or possibly 3 companies. Out of the 35 million…

  • Covid-19 NewsAround 7,000 people in Bangkok have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19

    Around 7,000 people in Bangkok have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19

    Only 7,121 residents in Bangkok have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 since the Thai government rolled out its immunisation campaign in late-February, according to a report from Nation Thailand. Bangkok has more than 10 million residents. To reach herd immunity against Covid-19, 70% of the population needs to be vaccinated. More than 100,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been…

  • Covid-19 News25,000 people injected with Covid-19 vaccine this week in Koh Samui

    25,000 people injected with Covid-19 vaccine this week in Koh Samui

    This week, 25,000 people in Koh Samui have been injected with the Covid-19 vaccine. The island plans to vaccinate 70% of its population by July to reach ‘herd immunity’ and reopen the tourist destination to vaccinated travellers, following the Phuket ‘sandbox’ model. The vaccines were offered to the general public, including expats, at Rajabhat University, Bangkok Hospital Samui, Central Festival…

  • Covid-19 NewsUnder 30s in UK to be offered alternative to AstraZeneca jab amid concerns over rare blood clots

    Under 30s in UK to be offered alternative to AstraZeneca jab amid concerns over rare blood clots

    Health officials in the UK have decided that people under the age of 30 will be offered an alternative jab to the AstraZeneca vaccine. The decision comes following a review by the country’s drugs regulator that shows that by the end of last month, a number of people experienced blood clots after receiving the vaccine developed in partnership with Oxford…

  • Covid-19 NewsMonk dies after getting Covid-19 vaccine, 3 others treated at the hospital

    Monk dies after getting Covid-19 vaccine, 3 others treated at the hospital

    UPDATE: Reports now say the monk died just a few hours after receiving the vaccine. A 71 year old monk died just a few hours after he was injected with the Covid-19 vaccine while 3 other monks at the same temple, Wat Samphanthawong Moranaphap in Bangkok, were taken to the hospital sometime after being injected with the vaccine to be…

  • Tourism NewsVaccinated against Covid-19? Quarantine is cut down to 7 days

    Vaccinated against Covid-19? Quarantine is cut down to 7 days

    Travellers who are vaccinated against Covid-19 can now undergo a reduced quarantine period of 7 days upon entering Thailand. The new, shorter quarantine period goes in effect today in Phuket, Krabi, Phang-nga, Chiang Mai, and Pattaya. Those who are not vaccinated must quarantine for 10 days, which ends up being 11 nights, while those from countries with mutated strains of…

  • Tourism NewsThailand’s aviation authority requests 40,000 vaccine doses to cover airline workers

    Thailand’s aviation authority requests 40,000 vaccine doses to cover airline workers

    Airline operators in Thailand are calling for 40,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to cover staff and crew members before July, in time for the reopening plans in Phuket and Koh Samui. The 40,000 doses would cover 20,000 people in the airline industry who will come in close contact with foreign tourists when they start arriving in July, or whenever…

  • Thailand News1,000 foreign tourists expected to travel to Koh Samui in July

    1,000 foreign tourists expected to travel to Koh Samui in July

    Koh Samui may have 1,000 foreign visitors arrive on the island in July. As part of the “sandbox” tourism scheme, also set to launch in Phuket on July 1, allows tourists who are vaccinated against Covid-19 to travel to specific destinations in Thailand that have reached herd immunity. Thailand just launched its vaccination campaign a month ago. Now, both Koh…

  • Covid-19 NewsHealth minister says locals on Phuket and Koh Samui will be vaccinated before tourists return

    Health minister says locals on Phuket and Koh Samui will be vaccinated before tourists return

    Thailand’s health minister is reassuring the public that there will be enough vaccines to immunise locals, particularly on the popular holiday islands Phuket and Koh Samui, before Thailand reopens to foreign tourists. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says 800,000 doses of the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine arrived in Thailand over the weekend. He says 100,000 doses will go to Phuket and…

  • Covid-19 NewsChina to facilitate visas for foreigners inoculated with Chinese-made Covid-19 vaccine

    China to facilitate visas for foreigners inoculated with Chinese-made Covid-19 vaccine

    China will issue visas to foreigners who have been inoculated with Chinese-made Covid-19 vaccines. Chinese embassies in various countries including the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom released a statement yesterday saying they would facilitate visas for applicants who have been vaccinated with Chinese-made jabs. Only those who are travelling to China for work, or those who have family…

  • Covid-19 NewsPM Prayut Chan-o-cha postpones AstraZeneca jab after some European countries suspended the vaccine

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha postpones AstraZeneca jab after some European countries suspended the vaccine

    Thailand’s prime minister cancelled plans to get injected with the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine today after reports that some European countries suspended the jab due to the possibility that the vaccine could be linked to an increased risk of blood clots. Some people developed blood clots after receiving the vaccine. In a case in Denmark, a person died. After some European…

  • Covid-19 NewsUK insists AstraZeneca vaccine is safe as some European nations suspend use

    UK insists AstraZeneca vaccine is safe as some European nations suspend use

    The British government says the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine developed in conjunction with Oxford University is safe and effective. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was responding to news that a number of European countries have suspended use of the jab after some patients developed blood clots. “We’ve been clear that it’s both safe and effective, and when people are asked to come…

  • Covid-19 NewsAstraZeneca rollout confirmed for Thursday, with PM first in line

    AstraZeneca rollout confirmed for Thursday, with PM first in line

    First, there was the unexpected arrival of the AstraZeneca vaccine on the same day Thailand took delivery of the Chinese one. Then there was the announcement that PM Prayut Chan-o-cha was too old for China’s Sinovac jab and would get the AstraZeneca one instead. And then there was the delay to the PM’s inoculation, blamed on paperwork that was missing…

  • Covid-19 NewsThai Health Minister to chair panel on travel bubbles, vaccine passports

    Thai Health Minister to chair panel on travel bubbles, vaccine passports

    Thailand’s Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, will chair a meeting on Monday, in which a vaccine passport scheme and potential travel bubbles will be discussed. Anutin says those who’ve been inoculated against Covid-19 will be issued with a book to confirm their vaccination. It’s hoped this will make international travel easier, as well as boosting the public’s confidence and helping…

  • Crime NewsBangkok Military Court issues arrest warrant for medic accused of injecting troops with fake Covid-19 vaccine

    Bangkok Military Court issues arrest warrant for medic accused of injecting troops with fake Covid-19 vaccine

    The Bangkok Military Court has issued an arrest warrant for a Royal Thai Army medic who is accused of injecting troops with a fake Covid-19 vaccine. He reportedly made more than 100,000 baht by charging troops, who were on a United Nations mission, 500 baht each for a tetanus vaccine and a fake Covid-19 vaccine, which an internal army investigation…

  • Covid-19 NewsCabinet approves budget of over 6.3 billion baht for 35 million more vaccine doses

    Cabinet approves budget of over 6.3 billion baht for 35 million more vaccine doses

    The Thai government has approved a budget of 6.387 billion baht to procure an additional 35 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines. The budget was approved at a Cabinet meeting yesterday, according to a government spokesperson. Nation Thailand reports that the budget will be divided into 5.6 billion baht, which will be spent on AstraZeneca vaccines, with 700 million baht going…

  • Covid-19 NewsThai PM orders Foreign Ministry to conduct vaccine passport study

    Thai PM orders Foreign Ministry to conduct vaccine passport study

    The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, says the government will look into the possibility of a vaccine passport policy, with discussions set to take place on Monday. The PM has asked the Foreign Ministry to carry out a study on the use of vaccine passports, but adds that there is no guarantee such a system would work at international level. “So,…

  • Covid-19 NewsThai army medic accused of injecting troops with fake Covid-19 vaccine during UN mission

    Thai army medic accused of injecting troops with fake Covid-19 vaccine during UN mission

    UPDATE: Recent reports say the medic’s license has not been revoked, but the Medical Council is considering revoking his doctor’s license. The Bangkok Military Court has also issued a warrant for the medic’s arrest. A medic for the Royal Thai Army was dismissed and his medical license revoked after injecting troops with fake Covid-19 vaccines during a United Nations peacekeeping…

  • Covid-19 NewsThai PM says Covid-19 jab is safe, urges people to get vaccinated

    Thai PM says Covid-19 jab is safe, urges people to get vaccinated

    The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, has assured people the Covid-19 vaccine is safe as he called on citizens to get vaccinated. Nation Thailand reports that the PM was speaking at a vaccination drive taking place at Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute, in the central province of Nonthaburi. It’s understood Prayut himself will receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, having been deemed too old…

  • Covid-19 NewsSurvey shows growing acceptance of Covid-19 vaccines in some countries

    Survey shows growing acceptance of Covid-19 vaccines in some countries

    A survey of 6 countries shows that the number of people willing to be vaccinated against Covid-19 is on the rise. The poll, conducted by the international consultancy KekstCNC, indicates that the number of people willing to be vaccinated has risen since last year. The countries that took part were the US, the UK, France, Germany, Japan, and Sweden, with…

  • Covid-19 NewsPM to receive AstraZeneca vaccine on Sunday

    PM to receive AstraZeneca vaccine on Sunday

    The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha will receive the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine on Sunday, while Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will receive the Chinese jab. According to a Bangkok Post report, Sopon Mekthon from the sub-committee on vaccine management says both politicians will receive their vaccines at the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Disease Institute. On Monday, the vaccination of priority groups in specific provinces…

  • Covid-19 NewsTop epidemiologist warns that vaccination is not a cue to re-open borders

    Top epidemiologist warns that vaccination is not a cue to re-open borders

    A specialist in infectious diseases at the Faculty of Medicine of Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University says the arrival of vaccines does not mean it’s safe to re-open to foreign visitors. Thira Woratanarat says opening the borders too soon will only put Thailand in more danger, pointing to a lack of data on the efficacy of vaccines against transmission. Thira adds that…